Five reasons why Arsenal are better off without RVP - Arsene knows best!

It's all too easy to laugh at Arsenal's expense these days, as is the case when any club falls from grace in such a dramatic manner, but is the joke actually on the criticsrather than the Gunners themselves when it comes to Robin Van Persie's departure? talkSPORT look at five reasons why Arsenal are better off without RVP....

1. Without RVP Arsenal are less predictable
Arsenal relied too heavily on Robin van Persie last season, arguably because it was the only way to get the best out of the Dutchman. Arsenal's team was increasingly set up around the Dutchman in recent years to the point that he eventually became their striker, leader and playmaker, but this often came at the expense of the team itself. Take Alex Song for example. A defensive midfielder by trade, Song was caught out of position far too often in 2011/12, more often than not after bombing forward in an attempt to find the Dutch striker with a ball over the top. While seeking out Van Persie worked on five occasions, better opposition quickly figured out that Song's constant search for his counterpart left gaps in Arsenal's midfield that could be exploited. A key example of this came in Arsenal's 4-0 defeat to AC Milan in the San Siro, where Song was caught out of position by Kevin Prince-Boateng for the opener, with the Milan man starting his run just in front of the Arsenal defence, the very area Song is supposed to cover, then picking up the ball in the box before finishing the move.

Theo Walcott's constant presence in the Arsenal team last year also seemed to be primarily with the purpose of finding Van Persie, with 75% of his eight assists supplying the Dutchman. As in Song's case, this woked well when it came off, but it also meant that Walcott, whose movement is often far too predictable and easy to nullify by quality opposition, arguably played too often ahead of promising youngster Alex Oxlade Chamberlain. It's no coincidence that Walcott was also caught wanting at the San Siro, getting hooked at half time after barely kicking a ball.

Now that Van Persie has departed, Arsenal have shown much more discipline in the middle of the park, with defensive midfielders (whether that's Abou Diaby or Francis Coquelin) no longer being caught out of position like Song. Their attacking has also diversified, with Santi Cazorla, Lukas Podolski and Alex Oxlade Chamberlain all given their part in creating danger, making them far more difficult to defend against. Oxlade Chamberlain's presence in particular comes at the expense of Walcott, the polar opposite to the situation last season, and the youngster has looked more dynamic on the flank compared to his superior. The real test will come when Arsenal play a top four side, but the evidence so far shows a much more fluid and threatening Arsenal team compared to last year, which in hindsight looks more like a route one team by comparison. They also look more dynamic in comparison to Manchester United, who appear to have fallen into the same trap of relying too heavily on the Dutch striker.

VideoLook at the position Boateng starts from in this goal - it's the very area Alex Song was supposed to be covering.

2. An injury waiting to happen
History shows that Van Persie rarely goes for long stretches without picking up a knock, and in fact, his most recent scare while on international duty was his 26th injury since 2004, so could this have been one of the major factors in Arsene Wenger's decision to sell him to his old rival? His most recent spell on the sidelines may only be the beginning for Manchester United, which is particularly worrying considering RVP's already prominent role in United's team shows that the Red Devils lack the creativity in central midfield to explore other avenues of attack. Should he pick up a serious injury this season United could be made to pay, while Arsene Wenger in comparison has a multitude of options going forward that don't rely on one player, not least due to the three top class attackers he signed in the summer.

3. Others are flourishing in his absence
The much maligned Gervinho looks a player reborn since Van Persie's departure from Arsenal, and it's telling that two of his three goals this season have came from central positions, with the strikes more typical of a poacher than the Gervinho we witnessed last season. This can largely be attributed to the space in the middle now opening up since Van Persie has left, and with three goals this season Gervinho's already only one away from his total for the whole of last year. Perhaps Arsenal can get the best out of him with the freedom now afforded in the absence of their former Dutch hero.

4. Is he a big time choker?
As great as he was domestically, Van Persie cost Arsenal big time on one of their most vital European nights. Defending a one goal lead in the Champions League against Barcelona at the Nou Camp was never going to be easy, but by getting sent off in the last 16 game in 2011 he virtually handed the game to the Catalans. Though his second yellow card was debatable, the fact is, the Dutchman only had himself to blame for picking up a stupid first yellow for a petulant shove on Dani Alves. Had he not done that, the second yellow would have been a first, and Arsenal would have still had eleven men and a fighting chance in the tie. History dictated otherwise, and it was in keeping with the striker's poor disciplinary record, suggesting an inability to stay composed on the biggest stage.

VideoDoes Van Persie really have the temprament for a high-pressure environment like the Champions League knockout stage?

5. The Podolski/Cazorla partnershipLukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla have hit the ground running at Arsenal, forming a deadly partnership with a telepathic understanding that at times can look like they've been playing together for years, but if Van Persie had stayed at the Emirates it's unlikely both would have joined Arsenal. The addition of the two attackers has not only meant that Arsenal have doubled their attacking options, but also gives them more danger from set-pieces, with Cazorla and Podolski both capable of scoring from dead-ball situations. If this flourishing partnership looks threatening already, just imagine the potential for it to be even deadlier when the two players have had more time on the pitch together to develop their understanding. Better still, Olivier Giroud has yet to settle in to life at Arsenal, and that's not a problem at the moment with his team mates scoring, but if the Frenchman can find his touch before it becomes a problem, Arsenal's brilliant new partnership could soon transform into an even deadlier three pronged attack.